Star Wars: Shatterpoint – Witches of Dathomir

I’ve enjoyed almost every figure released for Star Wars: Shatterpoint, and I knew there would eventually be a day where a set of figures released and I was less than enthused. To be fair, my excitement level for Mother Talzin and the acolytes was not huge, but as with all Shatterpoint figures, I was willing to give them a try.

I should note that, as a non-competitive player, my father-in-law and I, and our group of gaming friends, love to experiment with all the figures. So while this review might sound negative in part, be assured I will continue to use Mother Talzin in future fights, and perhaps come to like her!

Mother Talzin

While I might not love how these figures play on the table, they are easily some of the most detailed and gorgeous figures released so far. When painted, they look phenomenal, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone interpretations of these figures has been phenomenal. Once again, Atomic Mass Games has knocked it out of the park in the figure department, so having these part of the painted collection is phenomenal!

There is nothing inherently wrong with Mother Talzin’s abilities, and for some I think they would work really well in their strategy. I just found that, as a primary character, her abilities felt more like Secondary abilities, and in some cases, even support unit abilities. My favourite is her ability to make other characters dash, with her resolving that movement. It’s a great way to move enemy characters off of objectives, which could be hard if attempting to do it in other situations. Since it’s a dash and not a push, Clone Troopers Steadfast (for example) wouldn’t apply.

I also enjoy the Wrath of the Great Mother ability. While it’s not that unique as many characters can move and do 5 dice attacks, I find that these attacks can turn the tide of a battle if not properly defended. I like that this is an option for this character.

The other abilities didn’t feel like great primary character abilities to me, but perhaps looking back on other characters I might say the same thing.

Savage Opress

If I felt a bit underwhelmed by Mother Talzin, I was definitely impressed with Savage Opress and know I will be using this unit quite often in the future. With a wide array of abilities, this is one of the better secondaries I’ve seen so far in Shatterpoint.

Dark Fury is a great, albeit expensive, ability allowing Savage to roll a 5 dice attack on enemies within 2 and deal decent damage for all hits and critical hits rolled. If the user is a force user, they also get ! which is pretty darn sweet. This, paired with Overpowering Monster – which allows 2 extra dice if attacking a primary character – is really great and can quickly put hit points on powerful enemy characters!

I also like Unwitting Brute which allows Savage to move in certain situations, even when it isn’t it his turn. This is great for moving across the battlefield quickly and potentially taking objectives. It is a great strategic opportunity and I think it will be incredibly useful.

Nightsister Acolytes

Again, I’m a bit shocked to find that it’s the primary unit in this box that I don’t really care for. As support units, the Nightsister Acolytes are pretty great. They feel a lot like the Mandalorians with their jump ability, but I think the other abilities they have set them apart. You’ll want to spend a decent amount of time hunkering with these characters as it will help them on defensive dice rolls. This makes them great units to use in defence of objectives, a key strategic element in Star Wars: Shatterpoint.

Conclusion

I am REALLY impressed with the Secondary and Support units in this box. While a bit disappointed in Mother Talzin, I think that Savage and the Nightsister Acolytes make this a must purchase expansions for the game. Once again, new strategies can be created from these characters, and I cannot wait to explore them further!